Maia and Sebastian thought their end of the contract was within reach, only to find out they must find more coins from Hell. Who else has brought the currency to Earth, and what are they after? Find out in Hell to Pay #2 from Image Comics!
HELL TO PAY #2
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Will Sliney
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Chris Crank
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 14, 2022
Previously in Hell to Pay: Maia and Sebastian were severely injured in an accident when they were young. The Shrouded College approached them and made a deal – they could be healed if they agreed to work for them. This job involves tracking down special coins, or Qurrakh, which are the currency of Hell. Several of them have made their way to Earth where they can change the course of events. But when they track down the last coin, instead they find two. Instead of finishing their side of the contract, they are still on the hook. And Maia has just discovered that she is pregnant.
MORE COINS; NO LEADS
Hell to Pay #2 opens in Amsterdam in 1625 in the early days of stock trading. Bram Bakker wants to cash in on this wealth, but he does not have the capital. He does have a coin, and an envoy from Hell wants it. He thinks just giving Bram money would be boring and he suggests a scheme by which Bram can sell stock with a good story behind it. People will buy it and tell others how great it is; the price will rise, and he can sell even more. Bram puts up some resistance and even wonders if others might not copy this scheme. But for an envoy of Hell who wishes to cause chaos, that is entirely the point. Bram turns over his coin.
Maia and Sebastian return to the Shrouded College and explain that they retrieved the six hundred sixty-six coins they were tasked with finding – plus an extra. Maia insists they have fulfilled their part of the bargain. But no, the Council claims that as long as there are still coins, their job is not yet done. Of course, they can always give up and go back to life as it was before the College found them.
They visit the cell of Alex, the Penitent. He brought the original coins out of Hell and will not be freed until they are all found. They give him a coin, but it does not release him, so they tell him about the extra coins. They want his help in finding out more about the coin. If he helps them, they can help him. His visions point to a fortress of despair in Mexico.
What Sebastian and Maia find is a prison. Maia shows the warden a Qurrakh and casts a spell. He remembers someone with a coin who wanted to use it to buy all his prisoners. He admits to making the bargain and shows them his coin. This disrupts Maia’s spell, and the warden calls the guards.
Sebastian appears to be unarmed, but he has access to a magical hammer and a shield. They fight their way out and cause a prison break while they are at it. But they now have a second coin, and the knowledge that whoever is spending them now wanted people as well. They also use the coin as leverage over Alex to convince him to help them find more coins. He does not appreciate their changing their terms for his bargain. Qurrakh are a deadly currency with deadly consequences.
IMAGINATIVE AND ACTION-PACKED
The art of Hell to Pay #2 relishes the demonic and plays with it in unusual ways. I like the opening sequence and how it brings us in. In the Amsterdam flashback, the colors are muted, not quite sepia-toned, but very brown except for the demon who has a flashy red coat. As the scene progresses, we see his clawed hands and the skeletal face which is way too toothy. The demon casually acknowledges that he is not here to make a deal the easy way. He wants to spread havoc as much as possible. He is casual because he is playing the long game. I think this is a clever device for commenting on capitalism.
The council at the Shrouded College is dramatic, if not practical. There are several short pillars in the room, all bearing insignias, presumably representing members and their affiliations. Some of these pillars are shrouded and partially obscured. Behind them the council sits on elevated seats which are draped with red cloth. It looks cool as long as you do not think about it very hard.
BOTTOM LINE: GOOD STUFF
While sometimes the story beats of Hell to Pay #2 feel clunky, it does have plenty of action and the concept is imaginative.
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Hell to Pay #2
Maia and Sebastian get a lead on another coin – and there may be more!
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Writing7
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Art7
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Coloring7
By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.